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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:Ilya
Welfeld U.S. MILITARY BASES AMONG 700 SITES TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONWIDE RELIGIOUS EVENT TO UNDERSCORE THE CRITICAL ROLE OF FAITH DURING TIMES OF WAR & TERROR National Jewish Outreach Program's Shabbat Across America to be Held at Offutt AFB, Fort Belvoir, Fort Sill, West Point, and Across the U.S. and Canada NEW YORK; February 13 -- As our nation appears to move closer to war, and the Office of Homeland Security issues alerts about increased risks of terrorism, stress and fear are reaching unprecedented levels. In light of this situation, the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) is using its annual Shabbat Across America campaign, to take place on March 7th, to honor U.S. servicemen and women and underscore the critical role that faith in general, and the Sabbath in particular, play during these difficult times for civilians, as well as for members of the Armed Forces. The Shabbat Across America program, now in its seventh year, has been designed to introduce unaffiliated Jews and those with limited Jewish background to the joys and beauty of the Jewish Sabbath. Since 1996, Shabbat Across America has reached 430,000 Jews in more than 1,500 synagogues. This year, in addition to the more than 700 hundred participating synagogues of all denominations across the United States and Canada, the program will be held at the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska (55th Wing), the largest Wing in Air Combat Command in the U.S., Fort Belvoir Army base in Virginia, Fort Sill Army base in Oklahoma, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, among others. According to Chaplain Major Kalman Dubov, a rabbi stationed at Offutt, faith plays an important role for military personnel on active duty. "Having counseled servicemen and women of all religions, I am firmly convinced that belief in a 'Higher Power' and the sense of being part of a community can be as important as military training and mental fortitude in maintaining focus, confidence, and hope while on active duty." For this reason, Chaplain Major Dubov is organizing Offutt's Shabbat Across America participation. "I know firsthand the rewards of observing the Sabbath, and I feel it is important to offer my constituents, many of whom could be deployed overseas at any time, the opportunity to experience it, to explore their faith, expand their spirituality and develop communal ties to strengthen them for what lies ahead." The recognition of the courage of the U.S. Armed Forces will be a major theme of the Shabbat Across America program. NJOP is preparing a special declaration, which they will ask all participants to read, honoring military personnel, reaffirming the importance of faith as a means of comfort and sustenance for Jews and non-Jews alike, and emphasizing the role of the Sabbath as a vehicle of hope and community. "Since September 11th, we've seen increased participation in all our programs," says Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, Founder and Director of NJOP. "People from all walks of life are seeking new sources of comfort. For Jews, the traditions and observance of Shabbat can give them what they are looking for. The United States and its citizens are all under tremendous pressure right now, and Shabbat and faith can be a real antidote for it. For more than 3,400 years, in times of darkness, Jews have found hope and comfort in their faith. The ancient traditions are as relevant now as ever."
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